5 Most Underrated Pixar Movies, Ranked

With "Toy Story 5," Pixar Animation Studios will have 31 feature films in its library of titles. This studio has clearly come a long way from the days of debuting "Toy Story" over Thanksgiving weekend in 1995. Now Pixar has a whole mess of motion pictures that span all kinds of genres and artistic sensibilities. Unlike in the 2000s, when its artistic track record was considered spotless, that more expanded roster of movies means Pixar has inevitably made some box office and critical duds. However, creating 31 motion pictures has also meant Pixar has expanded its visual palette as well as the filmmaking visions it can house.

With so many movies attached to the famous Pixar logo, inevitably, some titles will get lost in the shuffle. Astonishingly, Pixar has made enough films now that one can actually say that multiple underrated Pixar titles exist. The five most underrated Pixar movies are ones that aren't always rocketing to the top of people's ranking of this studios output. Their characters may not be household names, and they may not have produced songs that topped the Billboard charts. However, there are still immense artistic merits within these projects. To boot, it's fascinating to explore what elements, including external factors, led to these massive Disney tentpoles becoming underrated in the long run.

Whatever led to these Pixar films falling off audiences' radar, it's time to give each of them their roses. Just because they're not as famous as "Ratatouille" doesn't mean they should languish in obscurity.

Three years after "Toy Story" changed the animated cinema game forever, Pixar Animation Studios returned to theaters with "A Bug's Life." The fourth biggest movie of 1998 domestically, "A Bug's Life" made some cash theatrically and even spawned Disney theme park tie-ins. However, in the years following its release, it gradually fell off in pop culture visibility. Opening in between the first two "Toy Story" installments, not to mention getting overshadowed by early 2000s Pixar films like "Monsters Inc." and "Finding Nemo," sealed its fate. 

Since its release, The AV Club dubbed "A Bug's Life" "the technological marvel Pixar left behind." Other publications have referred to it as forgotten. It's not hard to see why "A Bug's Life" isn't held in as high of esteem as "WALL-E" or "Coco," given its more predictable narrative and lack of major emotional punches. Still, there's plenty to enjoy in this title, including the things only adults notice in "A Bug's Life." For one thing, composer Randy Newman delivers a rousing score that lends a grand air to the actions of these tiny creatures. And while the supporting cast is certainly overstuffed, there are many hysterical insects scattered throughout "A Bug's Life." 

Chubby and hopeful caterpillar Heimlich, for instance, solidifies this film as a charmer. Other details, like committing to a really gruesome death for grasshopper baddie Hopper, ensure "A Bug's Life" has more to offer than just being a late '90s footnote.

After the baffling misfire "Cars 2," Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and company shifted things into slower, more grounded gears for "Cars 3." This threequel returned to focusing on the racecar world and specifically the idea of an older McQueen getting surpassed by newer, younger racers. The result was something still unable to overcome the narrative problems plaguing all three "Cars" movies. Villain Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), for instance, was a one-note baddie who didn't fit with the more contemplative storytelling elements. The animation also lacks specificity, relying on the same blend of stylized characters and ultra-realistic backgrounds all 2010s Pixar movies leaned on.

Where "Cars 3" does work, though, is in some of its more intimate emotional moments. Any material involving archival audio of Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, for instance, can't help but effectively tug on the heartstrings. Watching Lightning pass the torch to a new generation of automobile athletes also proves affecting. The greater emotional range afforded Lightning as a character gives Owen Wilson more to work with. Plus, director Brian Fee lends a polished execution to the biggest racing scenes. These set pieces certainly live up to the most memorable sequences from the best racing movies of all time.

Best of all, Mater, after proving so excruciating as the lead of "Cars 2," is relegated to a handful of appearances throughout "Cars 3." This threequel can't zoom past all potential flaws, but minimizing Mater encapsulates how it makes some smart creative calls.

The most totally pointless movie prequels reflect what treacherous creative terrain it is to embark on a prequel. Not only can prequels create massive plot holes for the original movies, they can also lack dramatic tension since audiences already know where everything in the story ends. "Monsters University" can't evade some of these recurring prequel problems. This Dan Scanlon directorial effort chronicling the college days of the "Monsters Inc." characters also suffers from more distinctive issues. That includes an overly clean animation style (younger Sully and Mike especially look downright plastic-y) and some rudimentary execution of traditional college movie cliches.

However, it's also a spry enterprise that doesn't just regurgitate the plotline of "Monsters Inc." Better yet, it functions well as a standalone production while delivering some enjoyable new characters (like Charlie Day's purple beastie Art). Best of all, "Monsters University" really hits its stride in an inspired third act where Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) realizes his lifelong dreams will never come true. This heady material covers new thematic ground compared to "Monsters Inc." and retroactively lends the proceedings new layers of depth.

After its release, "Monsters University" faded from the public memory, a process that included it getting snubbed for a best animated feature Oscar nomination. That's a shame, since this title, and especially its home stretch, offer quite a bit more entertainment and artistry than one would expect from a prequel. In other words, "Monsters University" schools vastly inferior prequel fare.

In another timeline, "Soul" would've gone to theaters and become as big of a box office smash in territories like North America as it was in its Chinese theatrical run. Alas, the feature was instead sentenced to a Disney+ debut in December 2020. Between being trapped on a streaming platform and its more somber tone (which meant kids might not rewatch it as much as, say, "Moana), "Soul" didn't catch fire with general audiences. Even Nielsen's viewership ratings for 2021 streaming programs reflected this, as "Soul" garnered half the views of "Luca" during this year. "Soul" also ended up behind "Raya and the Last Dragon" and the two "Frozen" installments, further suggesting it wasn't a household fixture like "Encanto" would become.

These numbers fascinatingly reflect the importance of a big screen theatrical release for making sure more unorthodox movies don't slip through the cultural cracks. However, they don't dilute the immense artistry that went into "Soul," one of the most moving features in the Pixar catalog. This testament to the intricate wonders of being alive truly makes one want to savor the tiniest details of everyday life. It's also one of the most gorgeous productions this studio has ever delivered, particularly with its inspired vision of The Great Before. 

As a cherry on top, composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross delivered another one of their masterful movie scores with this family-friendly enterprise. In every respect, "Soul" is a wondrous creation worthy of a sprawling big screen.

Finally, with "Turning Red," a fresh generation of Pixar artists got to put their stamp on the studio's output. While the original crop of Pixar filmmakers (Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Brad Bird) were born in the 1950s and '60s, "Turning Red" mastermind Domee Shi was born in 1989. With her distinctive (and younger) perspective, "Turning Red" established a bold new look for Pixar. After Pixar's 2010s output was dominated by sequels harking to the studio's past, an unabashedly idiosyncratic vision like this one was a balm for the soul. In any era, though, "Turning Red" would've been a much welcome delight. 

After all, Shi's creative vision for this project is absolutely hysterical. Her propulsive and absurdist comedic sensibilities aren't just entertaining to watch, they also effectively mirror the heightened mayhem of being a teenager. A more stylized animation style, meanwhile, further differentiates "Turning Red" from its Pixar brethren. This movie's outstanding third act alone, which deftly blends a kooky red panda Kaiju attack and tender mother/daughter bonding, is a triumph. Disney sending "Turning Red" to streaming is one of the studio's greatest crimes. A crowdpleaser this exquisite should be experienced with a massive crowd.

Ignore all the dumb drama that surrounded "Turning Red" upon its initial release. "Turning Red" is far more than either disingenuous internet discourse or its streaming premiere. Domee Shi's rollicking exploration of growing up is a vibrant delight that finally pushed Pixar into a new generation of talented filmmakers.